Device for connecting scaffold poles and the like



Dec. 26, 1933. R H 1,941,418

DEVICE FOR CONNECTING SCAFFOLD POLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 18, 1932 Patented Dec.y26, 1933 Q 1,941',41s I DEVICE F OR CONNECTING SCAFFOLD POLES AND THE LIKE 4 Isaac Rich, Hassocks, England 1 2 Application November 18;"1932, Serial No. I

' 643,219, and in Great Britain November 23,

. This invention relatesto improvements in and connected with devices for connecting or clamping transverse or horizontal scaffold poles to verticalpoles, of the type in whichthe'device is in the form of a l J-shaped metal member across the limbs of which is fitted a. plate through which is threaded a member adapted to apply pressure so as to draw transversely re-- lated poles towards each other, one of the. poles being engaged in the bend of. the U-shapedmemberand the other in slotsor apertures inthe limbs of the U shaped member. One object of this invention is to obviate loss of the said plate. Further in the type of device in question it is desirable to employ a distance piece between: the points ofintersection of the two poles passing through'the U shaped metal member, and frequently objection is raised to these distance piece members being Ieftlyingabout'so that they become lost or are untidy, or further .areliable to cause injury by falling particularly when scaffolding is beingrdisassembledr Another object of the present invention is to obviate thisob-' jection; r

-According to the present invention a device of the type set forth comprises a U-shaped metal member slotted-in its limbs to receivea pole and adapted to receive another pole'in its-intermediateportionat right anglesto the aforementioned pole, a metal plate.:being' pivotally connected to oneof said limbs and having-a set screw threaded through it, the said-plate being free to be swung into lateral recesses in the slots 'of said limbs so as to bridge said limbs to constitute an abut- -ment opposed to thebend of the U-shaped member.

, A further'characterstic feature of the present invention is the provision of a supplementary plate or a distance piece in addition to the metal plate above mentioned, this supplementary plate or distance piece being relatively movably connectedto the said Uashaped member so that it will; not free itself therefrom and being-located so that i-itv can be placed. between the two poles and being shaped so as to provide a substantial surface contact with both'said poles.

. In order that. mylinvention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect Ihave appended hereto. one sheet of drawing illustrateing an embodiment thereof,- and .whereinz Fig. 1 is a side elevation view.

Fig. 2 is a plan view. Y Fig.3 is a section on the 4 is asectiononthe line .411 4a of Fig. 1.

line. 3a 1 2a of 1,

. 11' Claims. (01. 189-26) Referring to the drawingthe embodiment illustrated comprises a U-s'hapedmetal member 1 formed with wide'limbs'whichare slotted asat 2 to receive a' pole 3, the other pole 4 being engaged in the bend of the U shaped member in well known,manner, set screws 18 if desired being threaded through themember 1 near itsxbend to engage thepole 4. A distance piece 151s in--. terposed between the two-poles across the limbs of themember 1. 1 Each of the slots 2 is laterally enlarged-as at .5 at the outer'endto provide abutments' 6 against which a metal plate or bar 7 can abut, this plate .or .bar.. being formed with a central boss 8 throughuwhich isthreaded a set orbinding screw 9 formed with an. apertured head 10 in, which canbe inserted atommy bar to'enable the .screw.9 tobe turned so as to ap-" ply a high pressure-to the pole 3. If desireda pressure :plate 7a loosely. hinged in slotted lugs lar form'and to ensure'it always being ready the, recess 5 contiguous to the pivoted support: 1

of the plate or bar 7 is'prolonged to providethe necessary clearance 5a in one limb of the U shaped member, the corner of the'plate ors'bar 7 diagonally opposite itsrpivoted corner being cut at an angle or rounded as at 14 (Fig. 3-): to the appropriate recess5a. I

The distance piece 15 above mounted on the U shapedmember 1 that it can be, readily located between the poles 3 and 4 and will equally readily free itself from engage- 100 ment with the pole 4 when disassembling scat-i.

foldingflThe preferred method of connecting this distance piece 15 to the. member 1 is to form, it at one end with-a sleeve 16 throughwhich a pivot pin 11'! is passedthis pivot pin being se-' 6 cured at its ends in .a pair of lugs 18a formed on one side of the 'U shaped member 1 near the inner; cornersof the-slot 2 of said side.= The distance piece. is a metal plate dimensioned sothat it canswingab'outthe pivotpin 17 through the clear referred to is so slot 2 to the transverse position shown in Fig. 2 extending across the sides of the U shaped member 1 and pressed between the two poles 3 and 4.

To ensure a good gripping action on the poles the distance piece 15 is arcuately shaped in-its longitudinal dimension to partly embrace the pole 4 as indicated at 15a, and its free end is bent away from the pole 4 orthickened as indicated at 19 such free end being arcuately recessed in its edge, this arcuate recess being in-. dicated by the reference numeral 20 (Fig. 4) and radiused so as to partly embrace the pole 3. It is also preferred to increase the thickness of this distance piece 15 at its pivoted end as indicated by the reference numeral 21 and to arcuately recess as at 22 the face of this partwhich engages the pole 3 to co-operate with the arouate recess 20 in gripping such pole.

It will be apparent that by means of my pres ent invention not only is the security and efficiency of the pole connector increased by reason of the configuration and location of the distance piece 15, but also there is no risk of the various parts falling loose.

I claim:

1'. In a device for connecting scaffold poles a U shaped metal member, slots in its limbs to receive a polein a direction transverse to. another pole adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, a plate pivoted to one of said limbs, a set screw threaded through said plate and lateral recesses in the opposed edges of said slots adapted to receive the said pivoted plate by swinging said plate into such recesses so as to bridge thelimbs of the U shaped metal member.

'2. A device for connecting scaifold poles comprising a U shaped metal member, a plate hinged to one limb of said member and adapted to. bridge both of the limbs of the U shaped member, slots carried through the free ends of said limbs adapted to receive a pole, another pole being adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, abutments in the opposed edges of said. slots against which said plate is adapted to be. outwardly pressed, and a set screw threaded through said plate adapted-to be screwed towards the pole in said slots.

3. A device for connecting scaffold poles comprising a U shaped metal member, a plate hinged to one limb of said member and adapted to bridge both of the. limbs of the U shaped member, slots carried: through the free ends of said limbs adapted to receive a pole, another pole being adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, abutments in the. opposed edges ofsaid slots against which said plate is adapted to be outwardly pressed, a set screw threaded throughsaid plate adapted to be screwed towards the pole in said slots, and a distance piece adapted to be interposed between the two poles relatively movably permanently connected to the U shaped member. 7

1 l. A device for connecting transversely related scaffold poles comprising a U shaped member and a plate inseparably-but relatively mov ably connected to. each other, said plate bridging the limbs of said U. shaped member, abutments in said limbs near their free ends against which said plate, is adapted to be outwardly pressed, a pressure applying member threaded through said plate, and a distance. piece adapted to be interposed between the two poles relatively movably permanently connected to the U. shaped. member.

5. In a. device for connecting scaffold poles-a Uv shaped. metal. member, slots in its. limbs-to res ceive a pole in a direction transverse to another pole adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, a plate pivoted to one of said limbs, a set screw threaded through said plate and lateral recesses in the opposed edges of said slots adapted to receive the said pivoted plate by swinging said plate into such recesses so as to bridge the limbs of the U shaped metal member, a supplementary plate or distance piece being relatively movably connected to the said U shaped member so that it will not free itself therefrom and being located so that it can be placed between the two poles and being shaped so as to provide a substantial surface contact with both said poles.

6. A device for connecting scaffold poles comprising a U shaped metal membena plate hinged to one limb of said member and adapted to bridgeboth of the limbs of the U shaped member, slots carried through the free ends of said limbs adapted to receive a pole, another pole being adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, abutments in the opposed edges ofsaid slots against which said plate is adapted to be outwardly pressed, a set screw threaded through said plate adapted to be screwed towards the pole in said slots, and a distance piece plate pivoted to one limbof the U shaped member between the said set screw carrying plate and the bend of the U shaped member and adapted to be located between the two poles and to be swung about its pivot through one of said slots.

'7. In a. device for connecting scaffold poles a U shaped metal member,- slots in its limbs to receive a pole in a direction transverse to another pole adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, a plate pivoted to one of said limbs, a set screw threaded through said plate, lateral recesses in the opposed edges of said slots adapted to receive the said pivoted plate byswinging said plate into such recesses so as-to bridge the limbs of the U- shaped metal member, and a distance piece member relatively movably. carried by said plate and adapted to lie'be- 120 tween the pole in said slots and said plate.

8. A device for connecting'transversely related scaffold poles comprising a U shaped member and a plate inseparably but relatively movably connected to each other, slots in the. limbs of said 1-25 U-shaped member to receive a pole in a direction transverse to another pole adapted to be received in the bend of the 'U-shaped member said plate bridging the limbs of said- U shaped member, abutments in. said limbs near their free 130 ends against which said plate is adapted tobe outwardly pressed, a pressure applying member threaded through said plate, and a distance piece member relatively movably carried by said plate and adapted to lie between thepole in said 135 slots and said plate.

9. In a device for connecting scaffold poles a U shaped metal member, slots in its limbs to receive a pole in a direction transverse to another pole adapted; to be-received in the bend of the 14;; U shaped member, a plate pivoted to one of saidlimbs, a set screw threaded through said plate and lateral recesses in the opposed edges of said slots adapted to receive the said pivoted. plate: by swinging said. plate into. such. recesses so as145 to bridge the limbs of the U shaped metalmember, a supplementary plate or distance piece being relatively movably connected to'the said U shaped member so that it will not free itself therefrom and being located sothat it can be 1:50

to one limb of said member and adapted to bridge both of the limbs of the U shaped member, slots carried through the free ends of said limbs adapted to receive a pole, another pole being adapted. to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, abutments in the opposed edges of said slots against which said plate is adapted to be outwardlypressed, a set screw threaded through said plate adapted to be screwed to-H- wards the pole in said slots, .a distance piece adapted to be interposed between the two poles relatively movably permanently connected to the U shaped member, and recesses in the pole 'engaging face and ends of said distance piece adapted to partly embrace the two poles. l v

11. A device for connecting scaffold'poles comprising a U shaped metal member, a plate hinged to one limb of said member and adapted to bridge both'of the limbs of the U shaped member, slots carried through the free ends of said' limbs adapted to receive a pole, another pole being adapted to be received in the bend of the U shaped member, abutments in the opposed edges of said slots against which said plate is adapted to be outwardly pressed, a. set screw threaded through said plate adapted to be screwed towards the pole in said slots, and a distance piece plate pivoted to one limb of the U shaped member between the said set screw carrying plate and the bend of the U shaped member and adapted to be located between the two poles and to be swung about its pivot through one of said" slots, said distance piece plate being arcuately recessed in one face in a direction parallel to the said pivot pin to partly embrace one pole and arcuately recessed at its free edge and also at its pivoted edgeto partly embrace the other pole.

I ISAAC RICH. 

